1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus equipped with an image scanner and, more particularly, to a recording apparatus equipped with an image scanner having a switching mechanism for selecting a different processing mode depending on whether a document to be processed is a text document or an image document.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recording apparatuses equipped with an image scanner supported by an image reader such as CCD (Charge Coupled Device) for example have been widely used. In such apparatuses, a document consisting of a color halftone image such as a photograph is read by such an image scanner. Based on color value data of three primary colors R (red), G (green), and B (blue) of the image data outputted from the scanner, color data of Y (yellow), M (magenta), and C (cyan), the recording signals for recorders such as a printer are generated by arithmetic operations. Based on the color value data of these colors, the recording head of the recorder is controlled to record the color image read by the image scanner.
In such prior-art recording apparatuses, reading of one pixel of a color halftone image is performed by reading an area consisting of one read unit of the image scanner. The read data are all stored in memory as gradation data. Based on the data stored in the memory, the recording by the recording apparatus is performed.
In the above-mentioned conventional recording apparatuses equipped with the image scanner, text documents are processed in the same manner as the above-mentioned color halftone image; that is, read data for each pixel are all stored in the memory as the gradation data in the read unit of the image scanner and, based on the stored data, the recording operation by the recording apparatus is performed.
However, as described above, the recording apparatus equipped with the image scanner requires to store the data read by the image scanner into the memory as gradation data regardless of whether the read data is obtained from a text or an image. Consequently, the memory of a large capacity is required to store data of one page or one scan, increasing the cost of the recording apparatus. Also, since the recording apparatus is controlled based on the read data, the processing of the read data takes time, preventing quick recording of images.
In addition, since the image recording is performed by converting the data read by the image scanner into a recording head control signal corresponding to the performance of the recording apparatus and the resolution of the recording head, the image scanner is required to deliver a capability which is always higher than a certain level regardless of the performance of the recording apparatus.